Serbia says it will impose tougher measures to stem the flow of Serbian citizens wanting asylum in the European Union.

Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic told Serbian legislators Wednesday that the measures are necessary to preserve the hard-won visa-free travel to the 27-nation bloc.

The new measures include increased border control and prosecution for people organizing transport for asylum seekers to EU countries. The government alsowill require that travelers leaving the country have a return ticket and a minimum amount of money for the trip. That amount is yet to be determined.

Thousands of Serbian citizens, mostly Romas and ethnic Albanians from the impoverished south, have flocked to western Europe since the visa requirement was revoked in 2010.

EU officials have warned that visa liberalization for Serbia could be suspended if the problem is not curbed. This would be a major blow for a country seeking to formally become a candidate for EU membership.

The issue is expected to be on the agenda when European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso visits Serbia Thursday.

Djelic said Belgrade will urge Europe to declare Serbia a country whose citizens are not eligible for political asylum. He said people are less likely to leave if they know they will be rejected at their EU destination.

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Europe must do its part to stop the flow of asylum seekers. He said it is a sensitive issue for Serbia's police because it could be seen as discrimination against ethnic minorities.

Serbia is coping with high unemployment and relatively low living standards. Conditions are especially harsh in the south. The country also has thousands of refugees from the 1990s Balkan wars.

Source: VOANews.com